What has COVID-19 meant for the tech industry? The necessity of remote work has accelerated the speed at which technology is being implemented–ultimately creating opportunities. Here are five ways that tech companies are adapting to do business during the pandemic. CompTIA’s EMEA member and partner conference online began on October 13, 2020. Todd Thibodeaux, CompTIA CEO, led a panel of UK industry experts in the session, “The Impact Of Today’s World On the Tech Industry.” John McGlinchey, CompTIA, was the compTIA’s chief executive. The group discussed how the necessity of remote work has accelerated the speed at which technology is being implemented–ultimately creating opportunities for the industry. These are five things that we learned during the session. Managers should be mindful of the mental health of their employees.
While technology’s role in keeping people and companies connected during the pandemic is a topic of ongoing conversation, the impact on workers has not been as much. Panelists agreed that managers need to be aware of employees who feel isolated during the session. Pound stated that ensuring the wellbeing of staff through creating a positive remote culture can have a positive impact. “Some people struggle with their mental health when they are isolated and remote.” It has changed the way I interact now with people. Because I can’t see their feelings, I am much more aware of what they feel. Pound stated that it is difficult to pick up on people’s body language. “Culturally, it’s having a impact on my business. I have spoken to some of my clients, where their managers and directors have managed [their] business in] lockdown in an extremely positive way. They are happy, but others do what they normally do and don’t consider people who work remotely. Capper agreed, citing the difficulties caregivers face during lockdown, as well as those who live alone. “Mental health is a serious issue because it affects performance. We’ve noticed that many people live alone and don’t have the opportunity to meet other people. Capper said that this has been a real challenge, and something we take seriously. Cybersecurity is vital and companies must fill the skills gap.
IT teams connected hundreds, if not thousands of endpoints during the pandemic and secured employees’ personal devices. Security was not always a top priority as companies initially focused on giving workers access to networks. Patton stated, “It’s not worth telling people that you can’t do this because, you can’t connect your device because …’. It’s better to say that you can if …’ we make some adjustments, and if you introduce practices that will enable you to stay secure.” However, cybersecurity is becoming more important and there is an increasing need to hire talent. The skills gap for technology professionals remains a problem. This is a great opportunity to fill the skills gap by recruiting and training more diverse professionals to fill these roles. Patton stated that there are real opportunities to retrain in cybersecurity. This is a great opportunity for those who want to have a great career. Technology learning has changed permanently.
Remote work presents challenges for companies that are training, onboarding and reskilling employees. But it also offers opportunities for workplaces to reestablish a learning culture. McGlinchey gave an overview of how CompTIA shifted to online training during the pandemic, and many of its partners did the same. “People couldn’t visit brick-and-mortar locations because test sites were shut down so early on. We were able to quickly set up online testing with Pearson VUE, our partner. This brought some normalcy back to our world. Students could be certified to get that job. McGlinchey said that others could be certified to keep their jobs. “One of the lasting effects we’ll see is that IT workers use virtual training a lot longer after COVID goes away.” Another opportunity for the tech industry is onboarding and training employees who need help in learning and using the new platforms that keep us connected.